The Air Force cyberspace tiger team, established
by the Air Force cyberspace task force, and the 39th Information
Operations Squadron have set the groundwork for the Air Force's first
network warfare operations curriculum.
The cyberspace task force was established by the air staff to help
define cyberspace and the Air Force's role in it after the chief of
staff updated the service's mission statement to include cyberspace in
December.
Col. Gregory Rattray has led this effort based on his extensive
experience with national and Department of Defense cyber security
activities and his position as the commander of the 318th Information
Operations Group, which is often referred to as the operational arm of
the Air Force Information Warfare Center.
Colonel Rattray established the cyberspace tiger team to push forward
with several cyberspace initiatives.
One of the Air Force's major initiatives is to establish and administer
a basic, initial qualification Network Warfare Operations course by June
2007.
"The goal of the course will be to develop the best of the best into
network warfare experts for network operations," said Maj. Kiley Weigle,
leader of the NWO school effort. "Currently, the Air Force does a great
job of producing operators who can install and maintain our networks.
However, there is no formal training program out there to teach our
Airmen how to actively defend or attack a network."
The AFIWC hosted a conference in June with 32 subject matter experts
representing various network warfare-related communities and from across
the globe to develop the task training list and set the foundation for a
progression of NWO courses. The basic, initial qualification course is
predicted to be eight to ten weeks long and will accommodate 25 students
per class.
It will be taught at the Air Force's information operations schoolhouse,
the 39th IOS.
The proposed framework for developing a comprehensive NWO operator and
planner divides the training into six topic areas: introduction to
policy, doctrine and guidance; NWO organizations and missions; NWO
fundamental concepts; NWO networks; NWO Employment; and NWO strategic
planning and integration.
Tasks outlined for each topic area were further divided into three
levels of learning: prerequisite knowledge, initial qualification
training and an advanced planner's course.
Potential students will be required to pass an entry exam to begin their
IQT in the basic NWO course. The planner's portion will be a separate,
follow-on course.
The target audience for the basic IQT course includes Airmen in
communications, engineering and intelligence career fields.
This course is the first step toward formal development of what have
been called "digital green berets."
"We must develop a force of trained, proficient operators to ensure the
Air Force can dominate cyberspace," said Colonel Rattray. "The new NWO
basic course will be a cornerstone of our force development efforts."
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